


Drills

by LauramourFromOz



Series: Arthur: Unbound [2]
Category: Arthurian Mythology, The Worst Witch (TV 2017)
Genre: F/F, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:14:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28191513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LauramourFromOz/pseuds/LauramourFromOz
Summary: Cackles' Academy plays host to some legendary figures.A one shot where people think about things while hitting other people with swords.This continues on from 'Arthur: Unbound' and takes place a few months later in a slight AU of the 2017 series.
Relationships: Arthur Pendragon/Merlin, Hecate Hardbroom/Ada Cackle, Mildred Hubble/Ethel Hallow
Series: Arthur: Unbound [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2065269
Kudos: 1





	Drills

**Author's Note:**

> Latin:  
> Filia: Daughter  
> Pater(is): Father (Merlin)
> 
> Old-English:  
> Fæder: Father (Arthur)

Cackle's was abuzz with activity. Arthur, Merlin, Jayne and the knights of Camelot were preparing for what was to come, whatever that happened to be.

Cackles' had become their home base, mainly because, as deputy head (and potion's mistress) and pupil respectively, Morgana and Ælf couldn't really leave.

It was early on a sunny Saturday and Jayne was leading the assembled knights (and warrior queens) in drills on the parade ground. Arthur watched from the battlements. He'd join them later but, for now he observed his people. It had been a few months and they'd found most of their people by now. Arthur's sister, Morgana the elder, was yet to reveal herself. As were a few of the Knights that Merlin was expecting.

"Aren't you going to join them?" Ada said from behind him.

"In a while,"Arthur replied.

"I thought you'd be training them."

"I've always wanted my people to learn from the best. Even without her modern combat experience, that's Jayne. She was never afraid to beat me on the training ground, and she nearly always did. My ego isn't so fragile that I can't admit the head of my army can best me in combat."

Ada was silent for a moment. She watched Mildred and Hecate as they swung their swords along with the others to Jayne's count. There was quite the crowd gathering by now, the pupils watched intently.

"Ælf always... She'd be out every morning training with Jayne and the knights. Morgana was often fighting to keep her kingdom after her husband died. Ælf lived with us in Camelot most of the time. It was safer. Camelot's position was stable. I'd reigned well for many years and Camelot was known to be well defended. Morgana was a woman with only a daughter to succeed her. Mercia was much less stable until Morgana solidified her position. Ælf was so little at the start, it seemed like her sword was as big as she was, bigger. She absolutely idolised Jayne, followed her everywhere. Morgana was the same. Morgana never knew her mother, Jayne was the closest she ever had, and Elisabeth."

"Elisabeth?"

"Elisabeth was, is, Jayne's wife. She was our court physician after Merlin's duties as court sorcerer and Crown Prince started to mean he stopped having the time to also be physician. Morgana learned three trades: Queen, first knight and physician. People were often surprised to see Camelot's warrior princess tending to the sick and wounded. Ælf was the same way."

"There are more women out there than I'd have thought," Ada said indicating the parade ground.

"Oh, yes. Camelot was known for having the finest swords-women in the land. Some of them learned their craft in Camelot, others travelled the length and breath of Britain, and further to join Camelot's army. I was glad to have them. Some of my finest knights were women. Not all of the women down there were women in Camelot though. Then again, not all of the men were men in Camelot either."

* * *

Hecate could feel Ada's eyes on her from the battlements, she could feel Arthur's too. It felt good to have a sword in her hand again. It felt good to be training with Ælf, Jayne and the others again. It worried her though, that her own first knight, Ruby wasn't by her side. Ruby had been Morgana's Right hand. They'd come up together and when Morgana had married, Ruby had come with her to Mercia. They had yet to find Ruby and it felt strange not to have her around. Ruby had been devoted to Morgana. Morgana hadn't loved her in the same way but she had in her own. Ruby had always been Jayne's protege , Morgana would take the throne of Camelot upon her Arthur's death and Ruby would lead the combined armies of Camelot and Mercia. It had always been assumed that Jayne and Arthur would die together. It wasn't something Merlin remembered (at least not that he'd ever told anyone), it was just something that everyone had assumed since they were about twelve that turned out to be correct. Then they'd all return and do whatever it was that they'd returned to do. But Ruby had not yet turned up and it made Morgana more anxious with each passing day. It had taken Arthur and Merlin weeks to find Jayne after Arthur's return. Arthur had spent those weeks getting his head on straight after having been dead for a millennium or so. Merlin had known where to find her all along. Merlin did not, as yet, know where Ruby was. Some people they just ran into from a vague notion tat Merlin had to be somewhere. Sometimes he knew exactly where they needed to be and who they'd find when they got there. It bothered Hecate that they hadn't found Ruby yet.

Arthur joined them about then and they pared off. Arthur with Morgana and Ælf with Jayne.

Arthur wasn't warm or loose from the drills and Morgana got the first hit in. Arthur parried easily.

"Something's on your mind, Filia."

"Ruby."

Arthur's sword struck Hecate's.

"She'll turn up."

"I hope you're right, Fæder."

"Pateris thinks you might be holding her back the way you, Hecate, were holding back Morgana. Or somehow preventing him from rememering how to find her."

"How? Why?"

"Same cause and reason. Ada."

"That doesn't make sense."

"Doesn't it? You, Hecate, were holding back Morgana, something that was supposed to be impossible, because you couldn't bare the thought of hurting your wife with the return of a great love."

"What does that have to do with Ruby?"

"She always loved you, my girl. And you cared for her much more than you could ever admit, given your position."

"I cared for her, and I loved her like a sister and a comrade. And we were... involved but she was no great love. It was different for me, I didn't have a great love like You and Pateris or Jayne and Elisabeth or even Ælf and Ethel, not until Ada at least."

"You were always her great love, Morgana."

She almost didn't parry his blade.

"You're slipping, my girl."

"This body hasn't had a sword in it's hand since it could lift one. I've lost all my muscle memory. We all did."

"I didn't."

"Pateris grew you. All your muscles were reconstituted. The rest of us got new bodies. Some of the others aren't even the same race or sex."

Morgana punctuated each point with an expert strike to her father's blade.  
  
---


End file.
